Ryan-of-the-Metal's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Run or Fight?]

Rammestien PL0X??

WTF? when this started up, that orchestra was buzzing, and yet that kick was absolutely crushing in the most decastating way those toms are really killer, and meaty, like that kit doesn't know how to contain itself. I was scared about the rest of the song lol.

Well, as we go along, that orchestra has some real emotion saturated in it, it's almost impossible not to enjoy, it's simply delicious like a box of chocolates, it's really dynamic. FRICK, I love smyphonic metal! Now... Please, Xeno, you're going to tell me about this EWQL Symphonic Orchestra, it's sounds super badarse, is it a whole bunch of people you're eorking with? Since I'm just really curious.

And well, that chugging does some complementary justice to the orchestra, the rythm of it is just really cool and enjoyable, and the creshendos really fit with with the sustains of the guitar too. Man this is a really epic track, you've got so much going on. And even! You have the emotional shrilling of the violins with a chorus too, man...

To build up that solo too, the brass really gets a hold of the ears, and the simphonic crashes too really do fantastic for buildup. That solo too is something fairly awesome, with pinch harmonics. And look at that, even the falling action too, the ending and the intro blend seamlessly. Xeno, you better work with this EWQL again, it's really dynamic and you have my attention piqued.

[TMW - Apathy]

Another from the TMW.

Well, this is another onto another, huh? Well, actually I have no idea what I'm saying, so let us start discussing music, sir.

When this song started out, I wasn't particualrly impressed by the lead, but the drum assembly was much different compared to what I've heard previously in your songs, which I found interesting, and personally I enjoyed you implementing the low toms a bit more, they gave some strange depth. and really imgled well with everything else.

But as the intro progressed, and after listening to it more intensively, I see what you're doing now, the lead is getting progressively better, and the rythm is chugging still, you're making a sort of build-up that I couldn't detect eariler, and I didn't pick up on the accents by the lead on the first quarter of the song, which now seem really fitting, but not exactly shrilling, I don't know how to describe that one.

The melody of the rythm chugging was interesting, I liked it, by the way. Although, I think I wanted a tiny bit more from the lead in the first half of the song.

When we got to the middle-mark, I was thinking a little generic when I heard the rythm just sustain on a few chords, I want to hear more out of that threshold of seven strings-Woah, what now atfer that part?

The lead just exploded into echo-y enigmatic emotion, that lick is pretty frecking cool, I won't lie, even repating it over time doesn't ruin it's value, the drums really picked up from there, but now I'm ANTICIPATING the next song! With how everything was heading, you got me hooked.

I know this song is called Apathy, and now after listening to it, I think I get the message, now get a few of mine, sir.
1. I like how you called the AlbumTwo Minute Warning, and all the songs are two minutes, clever!
2. I never mentioned this until now, if you ever played the Soul Reaver videogame series, your music fits in it in a strangely uncanny way. If I think Edios ever makes another, call them lol.

[Thrashin' it!]

Well, I'll thrash out a review

Well check you out, this IS some pretty thrashy stuff here, I think I'm glad that I checked it out. If I may also add, it sounds similar to a slightly heavier version of Metallica back thier glory days. It really has all the markings in simple terms of construction, but dang, this sounds like good thrash.

Okay, that intro was definately wierd lol, but I'll admit I like it, it was pretty cool with the flange and really airy brass or... Bronze? Whatever-the-hell they were percussion pieces, they gave a lot of mystery to the intro, also probably because I can't figure out what it is lol. It's probably cymbal hits with alot of echo and feedback, but that's a blind guess.

I also like how the post intro had EQ-filling effects, which makes any metal song THAT much better. Sadly, I don't know how to do this yet, so I commend you guys on that, it's good to break apart soungd a bit, and done well, since it's not choppy at all.

Noting the bass, that bass is nice and heavy too, I can hear it! It does take a little searching like any good song, but it still does some emerging in some parts, which is quite quintessential of bass in songs to do.

What makes me really think of Metallica, strangely, is the grums, I can't exactly explain why, but they just stuck in my head as sounding really Metallica...-ish.

Also, I like the arpeggiating breaks throughout the main chugging, and other quick breaks in the playing, they also build more to the song. You peeps must really know what you're doing, since this sounds just great, I mean, like Metallica too.

Considering that this was originally a demo, that is fantastic that it got turned into a song, a little perseverence goes pretty far. Don't stop metal \m/ This song deserved a review of mine.

[TMW - Redemption]

How about that?

I remember you Fanatical specifically for the songs you've uploaded that made me feel very peculiar. Your fretwork had a very particular way of presenting notse to stir the deepest, profound and strangest sense of emotions that I've experienced from most songs.

Here... I don't know, you seemed to really ease off of it a bit. Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate all of your music from this point on, maybe I'll change my opinion of it if you bring up some different stuff.

This song is cool, but it lacks most of the effect I've heard of your music.

Well, otherwise, very soon after the half-way mark, I sort've hear what I expected of FanaticalProductions, but just not really enough.

Funny, you seem to still be using either a similar, or the same drum kit since a couple albums ago. I think that there were some other songs that had some really cool fills in it that I'm not really getting here.

Meh, I don't know, maybe I'm over analyzing it, but at least the leads were pretty cool regardless, and some of those rythm riffs hit a couple spots.

At least I liked how it looped.

FanaticalProductions responds:

Sorry for the confusion, but I'm not uploading my discography to newgrounds in any particular order. Here's the order of all the albums I've made so far (by release date):

1999 - Fragging Fanatical
2000 - Delicate Balance
2000 - Doom Tc Music
2001 - Catherine
2001 - Limits
2002 - Inner Realm
2003 - Distraction
2003 - One Voice
2003 - Raretracks
2003 - The Next Ruler
2004 - Cube
2005 - 7 Bad Days
2005 - Complexities
2005 - Doleo
2005 - Thick
2006 - Foreverhood
2006 - Lost In This World
2006 - Phobia
2006 - Random Tracks
2006 - Raretracks 2
2006 - RTC-3057
2006 - Sauer Anger
2006 - Sleep Apena
2006 - Stream of Consciousness
2006 - Tidbits
2006 - Two Minute Warning
2007 - Cognizant Dreaming
2007 - Panexypnos Dimiourgia
2008 - Odius
2008 - Spontanious Failure

Some of these I obviously have yet to upload.

Hopefully it all makes more sense now!

I'm putting this all in a blog post so others can see it too.

[Face This Doom (Metal)]

Don't you just love boredom?

Really, I don't exactly understand why, but it just spawns some of the most awesome stuff sometimes. I've made music to interrupt my boredom, but it's nothing compared to what you're got. :P

Looks like you really turned up the dial for heavy here. D0000d, you've got some fairly br00tal stuff here, I'm not going to lie. I liked the initial death chord progression in a whole buch of ways.

And I noticed soemthing else from that intro, you've got some interesting drums, the likes of which I don't think I've heard before. I don't mean the really pounding kick, but that cymbal assembly, it sounds really different compared to what I've previously heard, I likes it.

Alright, those riffs are pretty nuts too. I just love the chunkiness of them, they've got alot of body and thickness to them, and the leas has a complimentary, airy, hollowness to it that seems to envelope the rythm nicely! Wow, that's a new standard of description for me lol.

I loved the entire song, but the keyboard break was really wierd. It completely and utterly caught me off guard. It's kind've like what Wahnsinn might do in a sense. Make it jazzy.

And when it progresses on with the lead, that was certain to send me to my doom. Anyway, forsome reason the way you ended the song made me laugh. Don't expect me to explain myself, since I really don't know why I did, but oh well.

By the way, you might want to trim the huge block of empty space at the end, and that's that, bye!

Ritz190 responds:

Ah Ryan! you and your kick ass reviews! haha yea....i have no idea where this song came from but i liked it when i finished it. yea i didn't expect the long pause at the end, i'll fix that. but with every song, i always have a melodic part. i listen to In Flames too much. i love melodic parts in songs. i was going for a Doom metal type song, but eh it evolved from that to Doom-melodic-death-something. lol but eh...it is what it is. thanks for the review man!

[Body Count]

This is fury incarnate

Really, Schlief. I don't know what sort of hole you've crawled out of this time, but you're back again with still more fury on your mind. Your really are an endless fountain of angst and fury, but I suppose that's a quintessential element for your music. I must admit, all I can do is shrug.

So I like this submission, I'll say this now, and I think I will mention it a few more times in this submission, but what the hell.

Let's begin with that intro, and be a bit chronological. I didn't really expect a very percussion-laden intro to be honest. It's not really what I expect from you. Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing at all, I'd say that it's a good thing to keep your fans on thier toes, not sure what to expect next.

But with those guitar riffs... I realize that some of your latest songs, you've really improved on your riff complexity, making your songs sound just that much more awesome, with more and more facets of epicness. I can tell that the lead gives alot of identity to this song.

The song has a really cool solo too that I just rocked to it so easily, the solo is good enough that I could have been by itself easily. Then you kick me with an unexpected second part. Although, your songs are difficult to categorize with specific sections, they're all good enough to make thier own songs almost.

In the song, you get to the lighter parts that really sound pleasant and melodic, but then it spins you right back around with more chugs and heavy parts!

For those drums and bass, they vary nicely and swiftly meld into the song well. The drums do all sorts of intersting things, with the ska-sounding stuff, they can easily just swap to crushing fills. I never mentioned that you put some interesting parts on those drums towards the end of the song that I really can't figure out myself.

I really think you have alot of variety here, you took progression really far in this song, your lyrics reflect that too. I suppose you really like to be dynamic with your lyrics, having them constantly evolve, which is just siiiiiiccck in my opinion.

You know, moving onto the vocals, they're really just plain great. 'Dying to live' onto 'Body count' sections have so much power on the vocals, it's really impressive, sir. Although, you really don't shy away from the graphic vocals too, man. Shoot. I don't know what influences you to talk about so much violence and death. If I didn't know youy any better, I would have thought you were deeply indulged in the military skinning your enemy!

Don't ever quit. \m/

P.S. I could also use some constructive criticism!

Schleif responds:

first of all - i really can't thank you enough for this awesome review man! your reviews are fucking amazing! yeah, as you noticed i put quite a lot of effort in this song and i'm really glad to hear that it pays off! don't worry man, i won't quit - especially not with people like you around - you kick fucking ass, thanks again! i need to check your stuff out. keep rocking bro \m/

[Gates of the Heart (WIP)]

Seriously.

This track should be extended much further than a work in progress. I really love this track, it's really melodic, so that if this was a genre, it'd be like metal-influenced melodic hard punk to me.

Anyways, I really like all the parts of this song, it's quite outstanding, and I'm not really sure why, but I guess it is simply the way you composed this so that I catch myself listening to it all the time.

The lead and the rythm sync so well, and just seem to meld together like a two-piece puzzle lol.

Only real complaints are that it doesn't loop properly, but I don't really find that a major issue. BUT! I think this should be developed upon and made into a much longer track than just underneath a minute and a half. It'd be seriously melodic epicness.

Anyways, I think this song should be famous, bye.

[The Ritz - It's My Destiny]

I don't care about your opinion

Joking lol, I only said that since I wanted to force my opinion of the guitars. Since I think they're SUPER sexy. Really, I like the assembly of everything here, what's not to like? I first got into this song all uninterested, thinking 'Oh, an artist I don't know about, what a bore.' And look, I just got my arse whooped by someone I don't know.

Thanks!

Now for some reviewing, first those guitars you mentioned. I like them. I really don't have a substantial point of reference, since I have never heard anything of yours previous to this, so I'm going by what I've got here. You made some progress if this is improved. Since the tone and everything is solid! It's just a slight bit fuzzy/overdriven for my taste. Maybe if I was doing this song, I'd include another rhythm track, but clean, but meh, I really don't know. What I do know is that this is good so far.

Also, the main riff sounds like something I've come up with once before. It also copes well with the signatures of the percussion too. I believe they're on eighth notes, but what the hell. The main riff also gives me the impression that it was something indie, but tuned down and meated up for metal, but again, silly Ryan's opinions.

I mentioned those drums earlier. If I didn't like them so much, then I'd hate them. But since I like the drums so much, I can't hate them. Like the thump of the bass and the duller snap of the snare. It's not too in the way, which I enjoyed. Again with silly opinions, I would try to somehow to pan the cymbals more into the respective ears. Although, some programs can't do that, so I won't harp on it.

That flutter effect was just plain weird and random lol.

I know I'm being anal about details and all, but I freakn' loved the break. It took me for surprise, and since I liked it so much, I think I may have gotten some ideas for my music production, myself. I wouldn't call it early if there were a few more parts and all, but it occurs in the first third of the song. Although, it goes into the third fifth of the song, so I can't arrive at a conclusion.

I liked the distant feel of the lead and the assembly of the cymbals in that break. They made me feel good. :P

I didn't recognize any bass guitar, and that's really about it. Go make more sexy guitar tones and breaks, lol.

Ritz190 responds:

whoaaa! that is one kick ass review! lol to be honest, everything was intentional except the flutter effect. that caught me by surprise as well. yea the tone is great and i know hat you mean by the fuzzy guitar since i didn't do any mixing. i wanted a raw feel to the song...the program i use is pretty simple...my style has improved alot thanks for checkin it out! lol! i decided to go more of a punk/melodic metal type mix. thus the guitar hitting right on the percussion. and there was no bass. i wanna get a bass guitar so i can put them in my songs...but as you know, musicians are broke most of the time. lol. the guitar may have too much distortion, but for some reason i like it that way. but hey man this review made my day thanks for listening! XD

[NWIP-Metaljonus]

This was ghetto

That's what I thought at first, anyway, but hell, I think I like this track anyway. It's pretty groovy, but not quite as complex as previous submissions, but hey, they all can't be golden goblets encrusted with rubies, can they? Maybe they can?

Transition! I'm getting this out of the way; my initial dislikes from this submission aren't all too strong or bold. I didn't really like the intro very much. Also, I think there could have been a few more things to be done for the depth and dynamics of the EQ of the tracks, like your other songs, but that's more of an opinionated suggestion though. Not too brutal?

Okay, done with that. I really kicked it off with that heavy groove portion after the intro, it took me for a bit of a joyride. Especially the meat to the chug, the cymbal assembly just complimented it well too, I don't think I can explain why, they just sounded good to me. >_> The accompanying licks also fit well too. Actually, it has a very Metaljonus sound to it.

Why wouldn't it though? Lol. It sounded very similar to other songs of yours.
The break I was sort've expecting, but not the execution into the interlude.

I MUST say, the interlude through the half-way benchmark of the song took me for a bit of a surprise, it really changed the melody of the song, and then just as quickly, threw the direction around in a whole bunch of ways. I may not say beautiful things about the intro, but this was worth its weight to listen to, just to hear an idea like that for an interlude, if using correct terminology, the re-introduction of the lead was really sick, lovely. Rip through some solos again, and then return right back into the main melody, that's pretty cool. I admit that.

7 ½ minutes... Cool, try making something 11 ¾ minutes long, lol, I really shouldn't even say that, you really could and would, so don't worry about it. It's good to hear new things from the esteemed Jonus of metal. I mean, Metaljonus.

Metaljonus responds:

god damn it i love you! lol

[Apology (#1)]

What's this all about?

Why is this so low in the portal?

It's not like this submission is really all that bad... It simply needs a bit of polish.

That buzz that comes across in moments with out recording can be rectified by either maybe a noise gate, or possibly muting the sections, but they may be too short.

For the rythm guitar, it's really raw and distorted, pretty heavy, but maybe a bit too much. I would probhably add some more low gain onto it, but that's more of a general opinion. :P

Now that lead it pretty cool. I know that's not necessarilly a solo, but more of a lick, but one that sounds pretty cool, I must admit. It sounds like some gutteral oriental/Arabian sort of influenced lick that is really distant, which adds another cool dynamic to it, but maybe only for this particular song.

By the way, that gallop on those drums are nice too. Everything sounds good on them, just the only gripe I have about them is that I can barely hear the snare over other instruments sometimes, and I don't know where the toms are, but that doesn't seem too major, mate.

Good luck in future submissions!